Newbury Park resident earns T.O. Rotary Club's Conlan Award

The Rotary Club of Thousand Oaks has named Ron Gellenbeck as this year's recipient of the John Conlon Award established by the club nine years ago to commemorate Conlan's outstanding contributions to administrative governance and charitable causes in the Conejo Valley and Ventura County.

Now retired, Gellenbeck, 64, graduated from Venice High School in 1959 and shortly thereafter began his 32-year career with GTE, which ultimately merged with Verizon. In 1970, the company transferred him to its Ventura County operations and he, his wife Sandy and three children relocated to Newbury Park, where he and Sandy still reside.

An avid sports enthusiast, Gellenbeck eagerly participated in his children's local sports interests, serving as a little league basketball, baseball and softball coach for more than 10 years.

His children attended Newbury Park High School and since 1978 he has been the school's public address announcer at basketball and football games. In 2000, he added boys and girls volleyball and boys wrestling to his coverage.

Gellenbeck is also heavily involved in community service activities. In 2000, he received the Grand Knight Award from the Knights of Columbus and for the past six years has taken a group of young adults to Mexico to build homes over spring break.

This year he was honored with a Benedict Service Award from the Vatican for volunteer service within the Catholic community. He has also been teaching confirmation classes at Newbury Park's St. Julie Billiart Church since 1974.

John Conlan, a Ventura County Supervisor from 1967 to 1975, served for more than 30 years as chairman or board member on some 30 governmental entities and charitable organizations.